Adventure in Babysitting
by Keeperofthemoon0
Summary: When Jane Foster agreed to watch Tony and Pepper's children for a night, she never expected to end up in the city on an adventure of a lifetime. While trying to stay alive, Jane befriends a criminal who becomes quite attached to her and the two children she's watching
1. Chapter 1

-*.*.*-

Title: Adventures in Babysitting

Summary: When Jane Foster agreed to watch Tony and Pepper Stark's children for the night, she had no idea the trouble she was getting herself into. And while trying to survive the night she befriends a criminal who grows quite attached to Jane and the two children she's watching over. Loki/Jane, AU

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Author's Note: This is loosely based off the movie Adventures in Babysitting. This is in response to a fic-exchange, Gathering Astrofrost, and written specifically for the lovely iamartemisday, who writes amazing Loki/Jane stories. She requested an AU fic, with some smut, prompt: Babysitting Tony Stark and Pepper Pot's kids. It was awesome writing this for you, I hope you enjoy, (late) Merry Christmas!

-*.*.*-

"You have _got _to be kidding," Jane complained into the phone, bypassing a couple on the sidewalk who threw a surprised glance her way.

Jane offered them an apologetic grin before turning her attention back to the conversation.

"Darcy, you're suppose to help me babysit tonight."

"Okay, I know, I sort of did promise you that. But you should have seen this guy when he asked me to meet up with him for dinner. He's gorgeous in a I'll-have-your-babies sort of way and I couldn't really say no to him. Jane, I'm in the bathroom of the restaurant we're suppose to be meeting at right now!"

Jane rolled her eyes. She had asked Darcy early last week if she'd be able to come to Tony and Pepper Stark's house to help watch their two kids and she had agreed, though a bit grudgingly if Jane had to admit it. Darcy wasn't exactly kid friendly, especially since she lacked a filter between her brain and mouth, but at the same time Jane wasn't very fond of watching children either. However she had done an internship under Tony Stark during the summer with hopes of learning something new from the engineer and had become rather close with the family. Then he had offered her a small apartment nearby once the summer was over to continue doing her work with a bit of pay, giving her a real job right out of college (though not her preferred field of study), one thing led to another, and now she was a permanent on-call babysitter.

"You could just bring the kids down to the city for the night," Darcy rambled as the distant sound of music played in the background.

"Yeah because New York City at night is a great place to bring two little kids," Jane responded.

"It would be the night of their life!"

"And the end of mine. Tony would kill me on the spot- no, actually, Pepper would kill me. Tony would probably congratulate me," Jane laughed at the thought. "You owe me one."

"Yeah, yeah," she could hear Darcy smack her lips together. "Gotta go, Jane, have fun with those kids."

Turning off her phone, Jane shoved it into her back pocket. She continued down the sidewalk, wishing briefly she had invested in a car at some point instead of the telescopes in her room, and eyed the houses she passed. They were big, beautiful, and expensive. Jane shook her head, wondering if they had any idea how dwarfed their houses seemed compared to Tony Stark's. As that thought entered her head, Jane saw the Stark's house. Or, perhaps, mansion would be a better label.

It seemed to swallow the other houses on the street, being both abnormally large and exquisite. The house was the main place the Starks stayed at whenever they weren't spending time at Stark Tower. Jane suppressed a sigh, thinking of her small studio apartment. At least it was within walking distance to their place. As she neared the front door she saw with surprise that it was already open. Jane hesitated, hearing a loud crash from inside. Slowly, Jane peered in and yelped when she immediately met a bright eyed gaze.

"Hello!"

The girl, Lillian Stark, had a large grin on her face and a little toy robot in her hands. Or at least Jane thought it was a toy. Knowing that Tony Stark was her father, one of the lead engineers in the world, meant that toy could be a spy cam and Jane wouldn't even know.

"Oh, hi, Lily," Jane said distractedly.

Her head snapped up at the sound of another crash. As always she was momentarily distracted by the sight of the family's elevator.

"What's going on?" she asked the young girl.

Lily shrugged, giving her toy an affectionate squeeze at the same time.

"Da doesn't want to put on his tuxedo," Lily explained, grabbing Jane's hand with her free one and leading her over to the elevator. "He keeps asking Mom if he can stay home."

Not surprised, Jane watched as Lily pressed the up button for the elevator. With an almost silent 'ding', the elevator doors opened. Lily entered first and Jane followed, silent beside her small companion as the elevator's doors shut before it went upwards, shooting past the second floor and opening its doors at the third floor. The first thing she noticed was all the clothes thrown around.

There were mismatching dress shoes randomly on the carpet. A blue button up shirt was thrown over a vanity mirror. A pair of boxer briefs hung from a door knob. Beyond the wreckage of clothes Jane spotted Pepper and Tony. Pepper, dressed and ready in a black dress, was attempting to get Tony's attention away from the computer in front of him.

"Tony. Tony, we really don't have time for this," Pepper was saying as Jane and Lily stepped into the large room.

Still distracted by whatever was on the screen in front of him, Tony paid his wife no mind as she placed a pair of shoes on the desk beside him. He was only half ready and by half ready Jane meant he had clothes on but the outfit most certainly wasn't the tuxedo he was suppose to be wearing. Looking at her watch and doing a quick calculation she realized Tony and Pepper literally had minutes to spare before they had to get on the road and head to Stark Tower for the company Christmas party. It seemed Pepper realized the same thing because she calmly walked up behind Tony and leaned around him, pressing the power button on the computer screen.

Tony gave an indignant cry, spinning around to face his wife and stopped. His cry of outrage was replaced by a large smile when he noticed Jane and Lily.

"Jane! You're here!" Tony walked up to her briskly, wrapping a hand around her shoulders and bringing her further into the room.

Jane realized with a start that this room was Tony and Pepper's bedroom… the whole third floor. She had been in the basement, which was Tony's office, and on the first two floors but never the third. And now she knew why.

"If I lost any work on that computer, Pepper, it will be your fault," Tony said, grabbing Jane's attention again.

Pepper just shook her head, a smile dancing on her lips.

"Your fault and I don't want to hear anything when I'm up late at night making up for that lost work," he continued, presenting Jane to Pepper with an extravagant wave of his hand.

"Jane," Pepper said fondly, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you for watching the kids. Did you see Max on your way up?"

"No," she responded. "I did hear some crashes though. I thought that was you?"

Putting her purse on the floor where she stood, she really needed to stop putting books in her bag, Jane glanced around the bedroom. There were pictures of the children on the walls, along with framed documents. A large desk with at least six different stacked computers on it was next to the small desk with a single computer that Tony had been on earlier. It looked like it was half a bedroom and half an office.

"Never me, Jane," Pepper said sweetly as she grabbed Tony's wrist and led him towards a large closet. "Always the boys."

"I resent that," Tony's voice sounded muffled as Pepper shut the closet doors behind him.

"Is Max working on an experiment?" Jane asked, spinning in her spot as Pepper walked around her to the bureau.

Pepper nodded, putting on a pair of earrings that matched her dress.

"He's brilliant!"

Tony burst out of the closet doors, shrugging on a sharp black jacket. Automatically he walked up to Pepper, who adjusted his bowtie and smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles on his sleeves. He looked over at his daughter affectionately.

"So is Lily here."

Jane smiled in agreement as Lily messed with the arms and legs of her toy robot. Silent, Jane watched as Pepper slipped on a pair of heels and Tony checked his reflection in the vanity mirror.

"How have the studies been going?" Tony asked her suddenly, turning to look at her.

Perking at the topic of conversation, Jane immediately picked up her purse and pulled out one of the books she brought.

"Great! I recently saw a constellation I couldn't quite place but found it," she struggled to open the book and find the right page. "oh, right here, just last night- But it's a rather rare sight, the constellation, and I think it has to deal with the assignment you gave me-"

"Here Jane," Pepper took Jane's heavy purse from her so that Jane could go to Tony.

Amused, Tony tilted his head to look at the passage Jane showed him.

"Do you see that there, that passage?" Jane pointed to the text with her finger and Tony squinted his eyes to read it.

"Let's walk and talk, shall we?" Tony suggested, taking the book from Jane and reading it.

Suddenly at a loss of what to do with her hands, Jane headed to the elevator with the family. As Tony read, Pepper pressed the button for the elevator.

"We should be back a little after one," she told Jane. "Tony, you have your phone?"

Patting his pockets, Tony nodded just as the elevator doors opened.

"Leave your work phone, take your personal cell," Pepper ordered as she gently pushed Lily in.

Jane and Tony entered at the same time as Tony reached into one of his pockets. He found a black phone and tossed it back towards his bed. The phone barely made it before the elevator doors shut on them, sending them down two floors.

"I hated the idea of an elevator," Pepper confided in Jane as they stepped out onto the first floor. "Until I became pregnant. Just the idea of walking up all those stairs had exhausted me so I gave Tony the okay. Now I just feel lazy."

"As I always say, I know best," Tony cut in, squatting down so he was eye level with Lily.

Lily smiled and Tony brushed her strawberry blonde hair from her eyes.

"Isn't that Max's robot?" he asked her. "Mr. Bot?"

"You always told us to share," Lily said in a singsong voice.

Pepper just shook her head, laughing silently.

"That is true," Tony conceded. "Speaking of your brother, where is he? Max! Max, get out- oh, there you are."

Jane turned and saw Max, taller than he had been the last time she had seen him, walking out of the living room into the entrance hall. He was holding some odd gadget in his hands, his dark eyes lifting briefly to acknowledge his family and Jane.

"We'll be back later tonight, kids, so don't do anything to scare Jane off," Tony told his two children, though his voice sounded far from stern.

"I hardly think they'll scare her off, she worked for you for six months," Pepper said lightly before pressing a kiss to Max's forehead. "But, really Max, don't burn the house down. No experiments till we get back."

"We'll be fine," Jane promised.

Tony helped Pepper put on her jacket and Max stepped up beside Jane, turning his attention from the gadget to his parents leaving.

"Yes, of course," even as she spoke, though, Pepper was worriedly eyeing her children.

Offering a large smile, Jane wrapped her arms around Max and Lily as if that would help comfort Pepper.

"Don't worry, I'll guard them with my life," she told Tony and Pepper jokingly before the couple left the house.

-*.*.*-

Unsurprisingly the living room was larger than Jane's small apartment. She sighed, slightly jealous, as she caught sight of one wall that was completely a bookshelf. Of course on the other side was a television that probably cost as much as the first four years of her college education had and other devices that Jane wasn't quite sure the purpose of. She slowly touched one of the random blinking boxes, intent on finding out the purpose of it.

"Max, what is this?" she called the preteen over, small fingers brushing the box.

"Oh, my dad made it," he offered, pointing at the lights. "They're basically for-"

"Oh! Hold on, sorry!"

Her back pocket was vibrating. Or, rather, her phone was ringing. Jane straightened, pulling her phone out of her jeans and seeing a picture of Darcy pop up. Answering, she turned away from Max's questioning gaze and stared out the window at the setting sun.

"Darcy?"

"Jane! Oh, thank God, I definitely thought you weren't going to pick up since I'm not hanging out with you and those munchkins," Darcy cried out.

"What's going on?"

Jane jumped at the sound of a crash behind her. Spinning around, she saw that Max was sprawled out on the floor, cursing.

"You're going to break my leg if you keep leaving these things laying around, Lils!" Max shouted, picking up an almost identical robot to the one Lily had in her arms and throwing it.

"Darcy? What did you say?" Jane asked, turning away from the arguing siblings.

"I _said_ my phone is about to die. And I need you to come pick me up."

Surprised, Jane laughed.

"You're insane. Date gone wrong?"

"Date gone way wrong! The perv took my purse! I mean everything. My credit cards, my cash, my car keys. I'm at the police station right now," she lowered her voice. "With a hunky officer. And they basically said all they can do is call me if they found the purse anywhere. So I'm stranded."

"Darcy, I can't leave. I'm babysitting," Jane sighed into the phone. "You should've just come with me instead of gone on that date."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Jane, you can't leave me here! I don't know anyone in the city, I can't stay overnight at a _police station_ there are murderers in here! Rapists! Thieves!"

"You're in a police station," Jane turned to look back at the kids. They were fighting over which channel to watch on the television. "I think you'll be safe."

"Please, please, please," Darcy begged. "I'll buy you pizza… whenever I get money. And I will never, like ever, ditch you again. Unless it's important. Jane? Jane, come on, it's only a little drive into the city. You can't abandon me here…"

And, as always, the begging worked.

It took Jane less than five minutes to grab all her things. There was no way she could take the kids into the city. Tony and Pepper would kill her. She would only be gone a little over an hour at most anyway. She had to leave them. Max was old enough to watch over the house and Lily for an hour and a half. Right?

"You're joking, right?" Lily asked, staring with wide eyes from Max to Jane. "You're leaving me with _him_?"

"He's old enough," Jane said, breathless as she stuffed her phone in her purse and double checked to make sure she had her wallet. "Right, Max?"

"I'm thirteen," he responded shortly. "But why can't we just go with you? We know the city well enough, we're there all the time with mom and dad."

"I don't think your parents would approve of me taking you both to the city."

"But I love the city! It would be such an adventure! Let's go!" Lily laughed, elbowing Max in excitement.

Jane ignored them and checked her purse for her car keys. Car keys? She didn't even have a car! Cursing, Jane slapped her forehead.

"My parents are paying you to watch us," Max pointed out. "And you're going to leave us?"

"Leave me?" Lily asked loudly. "You can't leave me with him!"

Jane shook her head, distracted by the kids yelling. Putting down her purse, she scanned the living room. How the hell was she going to get to the city without a car?

"Janeee," Lily called, catching her attention again. "My mom will be furious if she finds out you left us."

Jane huffed in annoyance, putting her hands on her hips to look at the two kids.

"And who's going to tell her?"

Lily and Max exchanged a look, smiles gracing their faces as they looked back at Jane. Jane bit her lip. She was going to kill Darcy when she finally got to that police station.

"And I'll tell you where my dad's extra car keys are," Max added, his smile turning to a smirk when Jane looked at him astonished.

"How did you know?"

"Jane, you haven't had a car since I've met you," he told her simply.

Sometimes she forgot how smart Max could be and how idiotic she could be.

-*.*.*-

The dark haired boy had finally led Jane to a secret compartment in his dad's bedroom that had dozens of car keys after she promised the two kids that they could come with her. Then, after making sure the kids didn't have to use the restroom and weren't hungry, they selected the least expensive car in the garage and set on their way. Jane comforted herself by thinking Tony probably never drove the car anyway and wouldn't even notice. She'd even deduct gas from her paycheck next week to help cover however much she used tonight.

By the time they left it was completely dark out and Jane muttered a silent curse, hating that she was deceiving her bosses. Just in and out of the city. A nice quick trip. With two children under the age of fourteen on a Friday night… Shaking her head, Jane glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Lily. Sitting there with that robot, Lily caught Jane's eyes and grinned.

"I've never been to the city during the night," Lily said loudly.

"Yes you have," Max responded, glancing back at his little sister.

"Not without Mom and Da," she retorted, sticking out her tongue. "This is like a real life adventure. Just like the comic books."

Jane couldn't help smiling to herself.

"It won't be that exciting, Lily," Jane said. "You're not even going to be getting out of the car."

Lily frowned at that.

"Well that's not very fun."

Max snorted, reaching over to mess with the dial on the radio. He had been messing with the radio the majority of the ride, switching from one station to the other, displeased with every song. Jane had a feeling he got this restlessness from his father.

"You're not very fun," Max told Lily once he found the right station.

"Hey!" Lily cried.

Sighing in annoyance as they began to bicker, Jane checked her side mirrors before switching lanes. They were on the expressway and while there wasn't traffic there were still plenty of cars on the road. After living in New Mexico for so long where there were hardly any highways like this Jane was always uncomfortable driving at night on the busy expressway. Her nerves were already shot as it was.

"Can you two stop," Jane pleaded. "We're almost there and I don't want to-"

There was a loud pop and Jane jumped, lights flashing on the dashboard out of nowhere. Jane immediately knew something was wrong with the car, could feel the loss of control even as she fought to keep the car going straight. Her grip on the wheel tightened and she released the gas but it did nothing. The front of the car swerved and Jane gasped. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Max snap forward, bracing himself as the car slowed down dramatically in the middle lane. Cars sped by her.

"What was that?" Max yelled.

Lily sat up in the backseat, laughing.

"Hold on! Hold on, I have to get over to this exit, I think a tire popped!"

Jane swerved into the far right lane, dodging cars, and barely holding back squeals as honks rang out around her. The exit she pulled off of was dark but the last thing she wanted was for these kids to be on the side of the expressway as she called someone to change a tire. Licking her lips, Jane kept her grip tight as she got off the expressway and turned onto the first street.

Right away she wished she would have stayed on the expressway. Jane had no idea where she was but it did not look like somewhere she would ever want to be stranded. The road was mostly deserted and the only light came from flickering streetlamps. There were houses that stood like shadows over the sidewalks and, if Jane squinted enough, she was sure there were people in the darkness. On instinct, Jane pressed the lock button on the car.

"Where are we?" Lily asked excitedly. "I definitely haven't been here with Mom and Da."

Jane shook her head slowly, hand reaching for her purse as she kept her eyes on the area around her.

"No idea. I'll just call a tow truck or something, get them out here, then we'll…" she trailed off, taking her eyes away from the road and looking frantically around the car. "Where's my purse?"

She lifted up the center console, looked by Max's feet, glanced back by Lily. Her purse, her purse, what had she done with her purse?

It dawned on her as she looked back to the front. Slapping her hand to her forehead, Jane squeezed her eyes shut. She had put it down while she and Max had gone to get the extra car keys.

"I left it at your house," Jane could've cried. "That's my money. My _phone_. Shit, shit, shit- Sorry, I just, do you have phones?"

Max and Lily shrugged at the same time.

"Dad always wanted to give us some but Mom always said no, didn't want us to use them all the time," he informed her.

"Mom always wins the fights," Lily whispered knowingly.

Jane groaned, putting her head in her hands. What was she suppose to do now? She was near the city, she knew that. For all she knew a few blocks over she could be in an area bustling with people. Here, however, not so much.

"There's a convenience store."

At Max's words, Jane lifted her head. He was pointing to a store with a sign that was barely hanging on across the street. There were several cars in the parking lot by it and Jane could see some movement in there. Someone in there had to have a phone.

"Okay," Jane took a deep breath. "Okay, you two stay here, keep the doors locked."

"No way!" Max cried out the same time Lily screeched, "What? You're leaving us?"

"I'll be right back, it will just be safer in here."

"Someone could break a window, snatch us from our seats," Max was wildly waving his hands. "You think that's safe?"

"Guys, I'll be right back- Lily!"

Apparently the locks weren't childproof. Jane hadn't even finished her sentence before Lily had unlocked her door and jumped out of the car. Taking the keys from the ignition, Jane raced out of her seat. Fearless, Lily was already close to the store, not even glancing behind to make sure they were following her.

"Lily, get back here," Jane hissed, racing after the girl and grabbing her by the arm.

She felt Max's presence behind her and took a deep breath when she saw the boy reach her side. The front door of the store was barred and dirty. Lily looked up at Jane.

"Are we going in?"

Jane nodded and pulled open the door. The cashier, a man probably only a few years older than her, nodded when he saw them. Keeping a firm grip on both children's shoulders, Jane stepped behind the woman waiting in line.

"Can I get candy?" Lily asked quietly.

"She doesn't have money, moron," Max told her.

"Knock it off," Jane whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

A man stepped in line behind her just as the woman finished paying in front of her. Jane took a breath and put on her nicest smile as she made eye contact with the cashier.

And then everything happened at once.

The first thing Jane saw was the cashier's eyes widen and he stepped away hastily in fear. Jane turned her head to glance behind her but hadn't even been able to completely see the man behind her before she was shoved roughly to the side. She stumbled hard in Max, slipping on her own two feet, as the man started screaming at the cashier. He had a gun. Lily screamed and darted the opposite way, right out the doors back into the night.

"Max," Jane gasped, turning to the young boy quickly.

She grabbed the boy's arm, turning her head in order to keep her eyes trained on the gun the stranger held as he yelled for money.

"Run, that way," Jane managed to breathe before Max got up and bolted down the aisle, keeping a firm grip on Jane's hand while doing so.

Jane ran after him, keeping her eyes on the cashier and gunman as best she could before, in an instant, she saw the cashier pull out a shotgun. They were almost to the door as the first shot rung clear, whether from the gunman or cashier Jane didn't know. She pushed Max through the doors and fell to the ground on the sidewalk after him. Another shot rang and one of the glass doors shattered, shards falling around Jane as she instinctively covered her head.

"Jane!" Max yelled, scrambling back after her.

She looked up, already on her feet and running back to the car before she realized with a start that Lily was nowhere in sight. Jane didn't even have breath to scream for the little girl and for a brief, horrified moment she thought Lily had been kidnapped.

"Max!" a familiar voice screamed. "Jane!"

The pair skidded to a stop and saw Lily, her body half out a car window, waving them to her. She was in a random car in the parking lot. Jane opened her mouth, ready to yell at her to get out of there, when the gunman burst through the glassless doors. Max and Jane ran to Lily without thought then, dodging a parked car. Wrenching open the passenger door, Jane slid in. Max had entered the backseat half a second before her and the slamming shut of the doors rung in her ears.

Turning, Jane went to press the lock button to find them already locked in. She spun in her seat, surprised, eyeing Lily and Max in the back seat before noticing the dark figure in the driver seat next to her. Jane slammed back against the window, reaching for the door handle, just as something hit the window behind her.

"That's my car!"

The gunman.

"Get down!" Jane screamed.

Lily and Max both ducked in the backseat.

"Calm down, calm down."

The voice was not one she knew, calm despite the chaos that surrounded them. Jane looked back to the man beside her as he took his time twisting the wires that hung by the wheel.

"What-"

She didn't have time to say anything before the gunman yelled again, hitting his gun against the window. Jane stared at him in a daze, wondering why he wouldn't just shoot the window.

"Out of bullets," the man next to her said. "Fool."

She must have spoken out loud.

"He has keys," Jane cried out. "He's getting his, shit-"

In contrast to the man to her left the gunman outside the car was panicking and was just about to use his fist to break through the glass when the engine to the car started. It was loud and a welcome sound and Jane almost let out a sob of relief as the man beside her smoothly put the car into reverse and sped out of the parking spot. Spinning the wheel, he switched to drive and pressed his foot to the gas. The tires squealed before the car jolted forward, spinning into the road. Jane stared at her broken down car as they drove by it before turning to look back at Max and Lily.

"Are you okay? Are you both okay?" she touched both their faces, sighing when she saw Lily's smile.

"That was crazy," the young girl screamed, though there was laughter in her words.

"Fine," Max said, letting out a long breath. "Just fine."

Nodding, Jane turned back to face the front. Her hands were stinging, the skin on her right hand having been torn off when she slid across the floor of the store. Blood was pooling from the wound and she winced at the sight of it.

"Here."

Jane focused on the driver. He was holding a handkerchief in between his long fingers. Taking it slowly, Jane pressed it to the small wound on her hand.

"Thank you," she muttered. "You saved us."

The man's lips twisted into a smirk then and his green eyes flickered to her.

"Jane," Max cleared his throat. "He stole this car. This guy… he's a car thief."

Jane's head snapped up at Max's words, mind racing, before the man started laughing. It was a sharp sound but it was oddly comforting to hear after everything that had just happened.

"Now, now, you got into this car. I didn't make you," he pointed out, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

"Drop us off. Sir, please, drop us off at the next corner," Jane pleaded, frantic at the thought that she was stuck in a car with a thief.

The man glanced at her again. He was pale, with long, black hair that barely brushed his shoulders. He was leaning back in the seat but Jane could tell her was tall. Tall, dark and… dangerous, a voice whispered. He was a criminal.

"You want me to drop you off? Here?" he cackled again. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Do you realize where we are? We're a bit further from the city than you think."

Jane looked out the window and could only see dark, deserted buildings. Just like where Tony Stark's car was broken down at.

"Just take us to a police station," Jane winced as soon as the words left her mouth.

The man shook his head, amused at her expense.

"Or a car shop. Somewhere with a phone. I just need to call someone, anyone, these kids…"

Looking at her from the corner of his eye, the man seemed to make a decision.

"I have to drop this car off. After that, though, we'll take my bike and I'll take you to a car shop. It will be an hour at most."

Max and Lily watched the exchange of words silently. He seemed sincere, despite being a criminal, and Jane found herself gnawing at her bottom lip as she stared at him.

"Do you promise nothing will happen to these kids?"

His green eyes flickered to the rearview mirror and his face was emotionless for a split second. It seemed the decision was harder than it should be but, as that thought crossed Jane's mind, he nodded solemnly to her.

"You promise?" Jane pressed.

"Yes, I promise no harm will come to these children," he told her.

And she believed him for some reason. Leaning against the car door, in order to have her full attention on the driver and the kids, Jane kept the handkerchief pressed to her hand. The bleeding seemed to have fully stopped, it was probably only a tiny cut that bled a great amount, but Jane kept it there nonetheless. After riding in silence for a second, Jane licked her lips and spoke.

"So what's your name?"

Max and Lily's attention perked when she addressed the driver. He was quiet before blinking.

"Loki," he finally answered.

Jane nodded.

"I'm Jane Foster. That's Max and that's Lily."

Lily waved to Loki, causing a corner of his lip to lift briefly. Jane was hoping that if Loki got to know them a little bit he wouldn't go back on his word.

"And I'm assuming they're not your children, Jane Foster?" Loki drawled, his accent hiking over her name.

"No, I'm babysitting them," she sighed. "Horribly."

"You're their babysitter? Why have you brought them here? Is this normally where you take the kids for a night out?"

Shifting in the backseat, Max reached through to the front and turned on the radio. Jane saw Loki's eyes flicker at the boy's sudden movement but other than that the man said nothing about it. Rolling her eyes, Jane slapped Max's hand away when he tried to go from one station to the next.

"Put your seatbelt on," Jane snapped.

She lowered the handkerchief then turned the volume down to address Loki.

"My friend is stuck at the police station. I was on my way to go pick her up but then my car broke down. And then, you know, that store got robbed. We got shot at. And Lily decided to jump into a car that was being stolen."

Lily smiled, leaning forward to hear the conversation better.

"So I'm not the only criminal you hang out with?" Loki questioned.

A smile made its way to her face.

"My friend got robbed," she explained.

"Poor thing," Loki muttered.

"You must have a lot of sympathy for victims of thief," Jane couldn't help but say, feeling strangely at ease with this man.

Loki smirked in response, turning down a different block.

The tops of the city buildings came into view. Jane could briefly glimpse Stark Tower before it was hidden again. The sight of the city, however, calmed her further.

"Where are we going anyway?" Max asked, head propped up by his arm.

"My office," Loki drawled.

-*.*.*-

"Are you sure your friend is on the way?"

Darcy looked up, losing count instantly of how many times the guy in cuffs by the other wall said "But I didn't do it!". It had been at twenty-two but now she wasn't sure. Huffing, Darcy stared at the officer in front of her. So handsome. He would've been a much better date.

"Why? Would you rather take me home?" Darcy asked, focusing on his nametag. "Officer Steve Rogers?"

The officer shifted uncomfortably.

"It's been two hours," Steve told her. "Have you called her?"

Twelve times, to be exact.

"Yeah, once or twice," Darcy said.

"And what did she say?" Steve asked, taking a seat beside Darcy.

She looked him up and down quickly.

"That she couldn't get to the phone right now but to leave a message and she'd get back to me as soon as possible."

Steve looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or not. Instead he raised his eyebrows, folding his arms across his chest.

"Are you hungry?"

Darcy narrowed her eyes.

"Always."

Reaching down, Steve grabbed a bag of food that Darcy hadn't even noticed he brought in. She perked instantly.

"Chinese?" she screeched, grabbing the bag.

Steve laughed and nodded.

-*.*.*-

Well it wasn't quite an office. Jane unconsciously leaned towards Loki as they entered the garage. As soon as the car was completely inside the large area Jane could hear the garage door shutting behind her, the metal rattling. There were people, men, lined up working on various cars. Were they all stolen? Had he just led her into the lion's den?

Glancing back at the kids, she saw that Lily's face was pressed up against the window. Max was looking out his window as well but made eye contact with her when he felt her gaze. He looked intrigued, not worried, and she wondered if these kids realized it wasn't as much an adventure as they thought. Looking back to Loki, Jane wondered what to say.

"Just don't talk," Loki spoke before she could say anything. "They don't take kind to newcomers."

Fear coiled in her stomach.

"Then why are we here, Loki?" she asked, her voice high-pitched.

Loki put the car in park and looked at her. Once again he seemed to choose his words carefully before speaking.

"There's something I need to do," he explained, unlocking the car doors. "Don't worry, I intend to keep my promise, Jane Foster."

Every time he said her name it was as if he was doing it to evoke a reaction from her. Feeling ill, Jane watched as Loki opened the door before stepping out. Did they get out too? Max and Lily remained seated, watching along with Jane as Loki went to the front of the car. A tall, pale man met him there. He motioned to the car and Loki nodded, receiving a sharp smile from the man in return. But then, quicker than a heartbeat, Loki made his way to Jane's side of the car. Her eyes widened when he opened the door for her, holding a hand out to help her out of her seat.

She took it, grasping it firmly before turning to meet the eyes of every person in the garage. She had their full attention. Loki must have opened the door for Max and Lily also for soon she felt them press up against her.

"You stole a car with people in it?" the man yelled, pointing to the trio.

"Technically they entered the car as I was attempting to hotwire it," Loki explained easily, coming up beside Jane.

He was ridiculously tall and Jane stole a glance up at him, her mouth twitching when she saw the grin on his lips.

"You idiot! You dare risk this whole operation instead of doing what you should have done and just _killed them_!"

_Kill them? _Jane looked away from Loki quickly at that, startled at how close the man was to them suddenly. Max grabbed the back of Jane's shirt and she felt Lily press closer to her. Then the man reached out, grabbing Loki by his shirt and flinging him onto the car. Jane jumped back with a shout, shoving the kids further behind her. The crowd in the garage was bristling from the movements.

"Are you stupid? I should kill you right here, you daft idiot!"

Loki raised his hands as if in surrender, allowing the man his temper tantrum. The crowd pulsed, watching, waiting for what came next.

"Let him go!"

Jane gasped, staring down at Lily who still had that robot toy clutched in her hands. She looked extremely young then and Jane wondered again what she got these children into by coming to rescue Darcy. Looking up, Jane instantly met Loki's eyes. They held each other's gaze before Jane looked away, her attention drawn to the man who was staring at Lily incredulously.

"We're not going to the cops," this time it was Max who spoke. "We just need to get Darcy."

The man didn't waver until Loki lowered his hands.

"Malekith," he began.

The man, Malekith, growled, releasing Loki and stepping away. But a jolt of familiarity at the name shot through Jane. Malekith… She had heard that name before, she knew him, how did she know him? Who was he?

"We have no time for this. Kurse, take them to the office. Then we begin the meeting. We'll deal with them afterwards."

Loki smirked, straightening out his now wrinkled shirt. Jane watched uneasily as who she could only assume was Kurse approach the group. He was a large man of darker skin and sharper eyes. Her eyes darted around the garage, looking for the office, before spotting it across the garage. It overlooked the area and was brightly lit. Taking both Lily and Max's hands, Jane squeezed them as Kurse walked up to her.

"Hey!" Jane cried out when he grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Let go, I'm not an animal, you…"

Jane's voice cut short as a memory rushed back to her. The news this morning, there had been a report on a recent attack in the city by a rising gang. _The Dark Elves. _Apparently they were a gang of thieves and murderers, rapists and psychopaths. She had heard the report in passing, never giving it a thought, but the name Malekith had seemed so familiar… because he was the one who led the gang. And now she was in their lair. Achingly fast, she snapped her head towards Loki. His bright eyes were already watching her and he didn't blink, didn't show any sign of emotion, as their gazes locked.

He brought them to the Dark Elves? He should have just left them with the gunman! Jane screamed in frustration when Kurse threw them into the office. Slamming the door behind him, they were suddenly left alone.

"I can't believe this," Jane whispered, her voice hoarse. "I can't… What are we going to do? Guys, I am so sorry."

The siblings shared a look before walking up to Jane. Lily patted her on the arm.

"This is the best night of my life, Jane," Lily told her, as though admitting a secret. "I promise not to tell my Da or Mom."

"Me too," Max said, leaning against the desk beside her. "But I'll have to tell some of my friends. They'll never believe it. A gun fight and now we're in a criminal den."

"Yeah and we have to get out," Jane muttered, running a hand through her tangled hair. "That sneaky thief, he led us right into this place, _knowing_ we'd be stuck. They want to kill us…"

She trailed off, unsure of what to say. They were all quiet for a brief few minutes. Max seemed to be thinking, his gaze darting around the small office they were in as he walked around. He'd randomly touch things, lifting a calendar that hung on the wall, tapping a trashcan with his sneakered foot, shuffling through random pictures. The desk that Jane was leaning on was covered with papers and notes, a computer and old coffee mugs. Jane could only assume there were things that she'd never, ever want to read written on those stray papers. Lily had moved from beside Jane to sit in the desk chair, her toy still in her hands.

Jane moved from the desk, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. It was cold in the office. Sighing, she leaned against the glass window and looked down at the garage. There were blinds that kept her obscured from the eyes of the criminals but she had a pretty good view of them. They were around the table, Malekith and Kurse talking to a group of men, and were uncaring of the trio now that they were locked away in the office. Automatically her eyes found Loki. He wasn't at the table, perhaps as punishment for bringing them into the garage. Instead he was leaning against the hood of the red car they had just been in. His arms were crossed and a now familiar smirk was lingering on his lips. Frowning at the sight of him, Jane unconsciously mimicked his stance and crossed her arms.

As if he felt her gaze on him, Loki looked up. Jane's eyes narrowed in surprise that he could see her. They stared at each other, each unwilling to drop the other's gaze. How could he do this? They wouldn't be stuck in here if it weren't for him, even if he did save them from the shootout, however unintentional his heroism had been at that time. And how could he sit there so calm after breaking his promise to her? Loki had promised nothing would happen to Max and Lily, he had promised her twice and now-

Jane's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at Loki. His bright eyes had flickered upwards quickly, briefly, before returning to meet hers. What was he looking at? Parting the blinds so she could look up, Jane only saw rafters and the ceiling. But as she followed the rafters with her eyes she saw they led to an open window… Spinning away from the glass, Jane looked at the ceiling of the office. Was there a vent, an exit, a-

"Look, Jane!"

Max stood underneath a giant hole in the ceiling. He was already on top of the desk, stretching his lanky body in an attempt to look out of the hole.

"We can escape," Jane breathed excitedly.

"We can escape!" Max cried out. "Come on, Lils, let's get out of this crap hole!"

Lily stood with her robot clenched in her hands.

"Look what I found, Max-"

"I'll push you both up there!" Jane walked towards the desk. "Max, you go up first, make sure it's safe. There's a window on the other side-"

"Jane, look! Look! It's a new weapon for Mr. Bot-"

"-we can just crawl across to?" Max finished for Jane and clapped his hands. "Perfect!"

"Perfect," Jane whispered. "Okay, move over real quick, Lily. I'm going to push you up, just don't hurt yourself, okay?"

"I'd rather hurt myself than have _them_ hurt me," Max told her, a goofy grin on his face.

Jane couldn't help but smile back. Steadying herself on the desk, Jane put her hand under one of Max's sneakered feet and quickly pushed him up through the hole. Only a second later his dark head popped into view again.

"A-okay!"

He reached down and Jane grabbed Lily, putting her on the desk beside her. Lily stood stubborn, her hands on her hips.

"Is anyone listening to me?" Lily asked, annoyed.

"We'll listen to you as soon as we get out of here, I promise," Jane steadied herself again before glancing nervously at the window.

Who knew when they'd be coming back up to the office? Maybe Loki was distracting them? Or, most likely, he wasn't. Jane nodded to Max before lifting Lily up completely, pushing her up through the hole as Max grabbed onto her. Then, hating how small she was, Jane jumped and grabbed onto Max's hand. He lifted her up with a grunt.

-*.*.*-

She was smart, Loki mused as he watched the odd trio slowly walk across the rafters above them. Occasionally dust and dirt would fall from the sky but none of the men at the table noticed, even when some of it landed in one of their coffees. Loki could barely contain his glee at the surprise and anger that would spread through the crowd. It would certainly add a bit of spice to his dull work for the company.

If he hadn't been so eager to get out from under the disapproving gaze of his father he wouldn't even be in this filthy garage with men who weren't even worthy of his time. Loki's nose scrunched at the smell of gas around him. Stealing cars was below him. One day, though, he'd run the underground criminal world… It just took time, patience, skill.

His attention went back to the trio when he realized they finally reached the open window. He repositioned himself to watch them without seeming too suspicious. The boy, Max, was the first one to crawl out of the window. Then the little one, Lily, was helped out by Jane.

Jane Foster.

She turned to look at him as if she heard her name whispered in his head. Loki allowed a smile to curl on his lips and lifted his hand, his fingers curling in a small wave. It looked like she smiled back at him before she disappeared through the window. The men around him noticed nothing.

"Kurse," Malekith spoke, his voice ringing out above the chatter of the men. "Kurse, get the USB from the office."

Loki could hardly contain his amusement as Kurse, the burly second-in-command, walked up the stairs to the office. He pushed open the door and, like clockwork, Loki could hear furniture being shoved aside and things thrown. Kurse appeared instantly, running past Loki to whisper in Malekith's ear.

"They're gone?" Malekith shouted, standing from his seat. "What do you mean they're gone?"

Ah, perfect. The other men at the table were standing, nervously inching away as Malekith screamed again. The chaos that was beginning to form, the fear that was bubbling, the anger that these kids could trick the almighty Dark Elves… Loki kept his expression easily neutral despite the madness around him.

"And they have the USB?"

Loki's ears perked at that. Jane Foster stole a USB flash drive? He didn't think she had enough nerve or stupidity to take something from the office, especially a USB. While it seemed something so insignificant, something so small, Loki felt unease as Malekith's face darkened. If it was the USB flash drive he thought it was…

"We need that back _now_. It has all the information about the latest attacks, if those kids give that to the police-"

Damn. It was.

Stepping away from the panic, Loki observed Kurse as he picked a couple men to take part in the mission with him. They were going after the kids, they were going after Jane Foster, and the trio had no idea. Or did they? Those fools, why would they take that with them? Loki shook his head, feeling a bit sorry for the trouble that was going to follow Jane Foster.

"Find them," Malekith told the men around him. "Find them and kill them. We need that USB back and I don't care how we get it. Or bring them back to me, I'll show them what happens when they mess with the Dark Elves."

Loki's eyes followed the group as they began to leave the garage, a growing sense of discomfort spreading through him. His fingers stapled the car beside him, his mind racing.

"Where are you going?" Malekith's voice stopped him.

Loki stiffened, not realizing he had begun to follow the group, to…

"To go help capture those little bastards," he told Malekith smoothly.

Malekith's beady eyes studied him before nodding. With a mocking bow, Loki turned and grabbed his leather jacket off a chair. Then he followed Kurse and the men. But while they piled into two different cars, Loki turned and went to his black motorcycle. He climbed onto it, pulling on gloves and buttoning his jacket.

"Now where did you go, Jane Foster?" Loki whispered before speeding off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

-*.*.*-

Title: Adventures in Babysitting

Summary: When Jane Foster agreed to watch Tony and Pepper Stark's children for the night, she had no idea the trouble she was getting herself into. And while trying to survive the night she befriends a criminal who grows quite attached to Jane and the two children she's watching over. Loki/Jane, AU

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Author's Note: This is in response to a fic-exchange, Gathering Astrofrost, and for the lovely iamartemisday, who writes amazing Loki/Jane stories. It was awesome writing this for you, I hope you enjoy, (late) Merry Christmas!

-*.*.*-

The phone went to voicemail again. Pepper frowned, ending the call and putting her phone back in her purse. Laughter and chatter filled the air around her but something uncomfortable was nipping at her heart. She had felt it before, the feeling that something was not quite right, and she turned to Tony who stood beside her. He was already eyeing her, his thick eyebrows perked at the worry on her face.

"No answer?"

"No answer," Pepper confirmed, twisting her hands nervously. "That's the second time I called Jane and she hasn't answered."

"Pepper, love, it's not even nine o'clock yet. What could the kids have done to Jane in three hours?"

A confident smile appeared on Tony's face.

"Maybe they went to get ice cream," he said, swirling the drink around in his hand.

"It's December, Tony," Pepper pointed out.

"Ice cream still gets eaten in December, Pepper."

His words didn't calm her and Pepper reached back into her purse to check her phone for the possible hundredth time. Jane hadn't called her or texted her back yet… though it had only been about a minute. Was something was wrong? Why wouldn't she answer any of her calls?

"Jane has never been one to check her phone constantly," Tony informed her, watching as she turned her cellphone over in her hands. "She's brilliant but lacks the simple understanding of a cellphone…"

Pepper didn't even realize Tony had trailed off until he took her phone from her grip. Looking up at her husband she watched as his playfulness faded into concern.

"Do you trust Jane?" he asked her softly.

Slipping her phone into his pants pocket, Tony took a hold of her hands and squeezed them gently. His hands had always seemed so large compared to hers and instantly warmth spread through her. Studying her husband, Pepper didn't hesitate before nodding.

"Of course I do."

Tony smiled, freeing one of his hands in order to brush a piece of hair from her face. His touch lingered on her cheek.

"I do too," he said. "There is no one I trust more than Jane to watch Max and Lily. She is smart and is more than capable of keeping an eye on them. Even if all hell has broken loose at our house, Jane would be more than able to handle them. Don't you agree?"

"Yes," Pepper replied easily.

"Then let's grab another drink and pretend we want to listen to what our lovely coworkers are saying, hm?"

The feeling that something was wrong was still there, nibbling at her heart, but Pepper nodded in agreement with Tony. She hated leaving the children at home and hated the idea of not being there if something were to happen. It was true, however, that Jane was one of the few people Pepper would want to have watch her children. And it wasn't Jane's fault that Pepper was overprotective.

Smoothing her dress with her free hand, Pepper put on a smile and led the way towards the bar.

-*.*.*-

Every shadow seemed like a person to Jane, someone set out to capture them. The feeling of relief she had felt once her feet hit solid ground outside of the garage disappeared as soon as she realized that, once again, she had no idea where she was. All Jane had known was she needed to get as far from that garage, from that gang, as she could. But she also had to stay out of any trouble while she attempted this.

The idea seemed almost unrealistic now. Tonight seemed to be the one night where trouble followed Jane wherever she went. Her stomach was twisting and she was afraid she was going to get sick all over the sidewalk if she didn't find a well-lit, safe establishment in the next few minutes. They had been walking forever and the longer they walked the more the realization that the Dark Elves would soon discover they had escaped set in. Perhaps the gang wouldn't even care. Maybe they'd let the trio go. After all they were basically only kids, in the wrong place at the wrong time. They would have to realize that no harm could come from letting Jane, Max and Lily go home in peace… Right?

Looking at the two kids, Jane continued to feel uneasy. They hadn't eaten in hours. Lily was beginning to drag her feet, bored. Max kept glancing at Jane every few minutes, anxiety knitting his eyebrows. What if they didn't find somewhere with a phone? What if they never got back to Tony's car? Hell, what if they didn't get back to the house before Tony and Pepper did? How would Jane even explain? And what if they got attacked as they walked down these streets? They could be robbed, even though the most prized possession between them was Mr. Bot, Lily's toy robot.

Jane worried at her bottom lip, eyes scanning the area around them. Just dark, empty houses. Once she had seen a group of young kids standing beside an alley but they seemed to disappear in the darkness before the trio got close to them. There had also been a homeless man sitting beside trash cans, his loud snores disturbing the silence between them.

"Where are we?" Lily moaned.

Less than three blocks away from the garage. Not nearly far enough for Jane's liking. At her thoughts, Jane shook her head.

"We're almost there," Jane soothed, reaching out to rub Lily's back.

"Almost where?" the young girl asked.

Almost where indeed. It was a question Jane had no answer for as they approached the next deserted intersection. She was about to answer, to say anything, when she heard it. Tires squealing. Jane's head snapped back to look behind her, her breath caught in her throat, as a black car fish-tailed onto the main street two blocks behind them.

There was no indication of who it was. It was a simple black car that was speeding. But before Jane could even try to focus on who could be in it she was already pushing Max and Lily to run. The kids obliged without question, darting across the intersection. Automatically Jane looked left and right, though she knew there weren't any cars on the road, and almost stumbled to a stop. On the block to the right, almost unnoticeable in the shadows of the buildings around it, was some sort of bar. She could hear a buzzing, music, and could see people leaving and entering through the front door. It was their sanctuary, it was their only hope-

"Jane!" Max screamed.

Jane turned towards his voice and saw his eyes, wide and frightened, on the car behind her. She looked backwards and cried out, unaware that in those few seconds of thought that the car was almost directly behind her. The driver's window was up, shielding her view of who it was, but someone leaned out of the passenger window. Kurse.

The car flew by them but Kurse hung on tight to the roof with one hand, his lips curled in a snarl as he kept his gaze on Jane. She reached Max and Lily, who had stopping running as soon as the car drove by them. Their breathing was labored and Jane fought to keep calm as she looked around them. They were too far from the bar, too far from other people, they would never make it. Her thoughts were cut short as the black car turned abruptly, spinning around to face them.

"Get over here!" his yell was muffled by the car skidding to a stop.

The bright lights of the headlights kept the trio frozen in place. Her heartbeat raced and Lily backed up into Jane, her tiny body tense. Jane squeezed Max's shoulder with her hand as her eyes darted around.

They needed an escape, an escape, they needed to get out of here. There were houses that lined the street, none lit. They were empty, there was no one in there to help them. Behind them had been the same. The bar was too far. If people heard their screams would they even think to investigate? Jane had a feeling that was unlikely.

The click of the car doors unlocking snapped Jane back to reality. With a shove, Jane pushed the kids towards the house closest to them. There was a stoop that led up to the front door of the looming house. Max and Lily didn't hesitate with Jane's silent commands, instinctively trying to open the door as Jane stood on the sidewalk. She just had to distract the gang long enough that Max and Lily could get away, at least into the safety of the house. Maybe they could hide somewhere or there was an escape through the back. Perhaps there would even be someone living in the space who wasn't a vile human and would be willing to protect the two children-

"Now, now," Kurse stepped out of the car slowly, his gaze flickering to Max and Lily as they fumbled with the door.

"It's locked," Max shouted to Jane.

"There is no need to run," Kurse told the trio.

Jane stood still, her chest heaving as she attempted to look calm and collected before the gang. Two men had just exited the backseat of the car, though they stayed behind Kurse. And Kurse, in his massive state, had just shut the passenger door. The headlights were blinding but Jane could still see the danger before her.

"Max," Jane called to him. "Open that door."

"I can't," he breathed.

She kept her eyes away from the kids and on Kurse and the gang. The engine to the car hummed. Maybe if they could get into the car somehow… but how?

"You have something we want," Kurse continued, ignoring the side chatter of Jane and Max. "Give it back and I'll consider letting you live."

Jane heard a loud thud and instinctively looked to Max. He was cradling his arm, face contorted in pain. The door was still firmly in place. He was trying to break down the door with his own body?

Wait, what?

"What do you mean we have something of yours?" Jane asked cautiously, hands shaking.

"Just what I said-" Another loud thud interrupted them. "Give us the flash drive."

Flash drive? Jane's mouth parted, unsure of what he was talking about, just as Max gave a loud shout. She looked up and saw the children disappearing into the house. He had broken down the door? Jane didn't bother to question it, to think, before she darted away from the gang, up the few steps, and followed the children into the gloom of the house. As soon as she entered the house she spun on spot and slammed the door shut. Her fingers fumbled, trying to find the lock in the dark to keep the gang away, if only for a couple seconds longer.

"No time for that, Jane Foster."

Jane screamed, whirling around at the voice. It wasn't Max or Lily. It was-

"You!" she hissed, her eyes wide.

Loki stood before her, cloaked in shadows. The only thing she could make out was the bright green of his eyes and the sharp white of his smirk.

"Come," he ordered.

Taking a hold of her wrist, Loki pulled Jane after him. She didn't bother to try to fight him or to see where he was leading her. All around her the house creaked as they ran through it. The former living space reeked of sweat and mold, a combination that made Jane feel ill. It was swallowed in black, the shadows of abandoned furniture pieces morphing into unknown dangers all around her. Loki seemed to be leading her to the back of the house.

"Where's Lily and-"

Her words were cut short by movement and noise behind her. Jane didn't have time to look behind her before Loki stopped, wrenching open a door beside them that she hadn't even noticed. Her eyes were still adjusting to the lack of light. She gasped, a wave of fear washing over her at being caught again.

"Loki." His name seemed to get tangled in her throat. "Where are the kids?"

Loki's grip on her wrist tightened before he released her, his hands touching her shoulders lightly as he pushed her backwards. She looked up at him, her mouth moving wordlessly. Where were Max and Lily? The sound of something breaking close by froze both Loki and Jane for a heartbeat.

"Stay here, be quiet," he breathed before stepping back and shutting the door.

Once again she was blind. Jane kept still, hearing her heartbeat in her ears and her breathing uneven. There was still other noise outside, muffled by the door she hid behind. Turning slowly and using her hands as guides, Jane felt around the room she was in hesitantly. It wasn't very large, possibly an old office or small bedroom. There wasn't any furniture in it though, just broken pieces of wood. It smelled like bodily fluids. Covering her mouth, Jane stepped further into the room.

"You two, check the upstairs." Kurse. "You, check that side. See if there's a backdoor."

Kurse's voice drifted away but someone, one of the gang members, was heading her way. She saw light, he must have a flashlight, from underneath her door. The guy was muttering but Jane couldn't understand what he was saying. Slowly, Jane approached the door. She took care not to step on any broken glass or wood on the floor, trying her best not to make noise. If he were to check the room, which would most likely be his first move once he saw the door, it would be best for her not to be in his line of sight instantly.

He could have a gun. He could shoot her.

Leaning against the wall to the right of the door, Jane listened as his footsteps came closer. Bending slightly, Jane grabbed a piece of wood. It wasn't too large but it was heavy and Jane had trouble getting a good grip on it. Hopefully Loki got to Max and Lily and escaped. If he could just get them to safety it would all be okay. Jane sucked in her breath at her thoughts. It wouldn't be okay. The Dark Elves thought they took something. If they found Jane here they would kidnap her, they would torture her, they could kill her.

It wasn't going to be okay.

What did they even think that they had? A flash drive, Kurse had said. Why would they think that Jane and the kids took a flash drive, of all things? And what was on that flash drive that worried them so? It had to be something dangerous.

A footstep outside the door caused Jane to catch her breath. Adjusting her grip on the piece of wood, she waited, knowing he would open the door. She watched as the light flickered slightly underneath the door, the guy must be readjusting his grip on his gun or flashlight in order to open the door. And at that realization Jane did something unexpected. Stepping forward, Jane used her free hand to pull open the door. As it flung open, she saw the silhouette of the man with his flash light pointed at the ground as he was switching his gun from his free hand to his holster.

Jane didn't hesitate, didn't make a sound, as she swung back before letting loose. The wood hit him hard in the head and the man, unaware that she had even opened the door, instantly fell to the ground. Wood chips flew everywhere but Jane ignored it, ignored the loud crash he made, and ran in the direction she and Loki had been heading. It seemed to get darker the further Jane went into the house but she kept on, keeping her hands in front of her to assure she didn't run into anything. She heard commotion upstairs and could taste dust in her mouth that must be falling from the ceiling.

The kids, where were the kids? Where was Loki? Jane stopped running, at a dead end. The room had windows, though. She could break through them, she had to get out, she had to find the children!

"This way, Jane."

She snapped her head in the direction of Loki's voice and could barely see him in the room she had just come from. Backtracking, Jane fell to her knees, level with Loki. There was a large hole in the wall that Jane could squeeze through that led to the outside. Loki reached through and took a hold of Jane's upper arms. She nodded once as there were loud footsteps behind her.

"Where are they?" Kurse's scream echoed throughout the house.

"Time to go, I think," Loki said in response and without a moment's notice pulled her through the hole.

Jane barely landed on her feet, stumbling into Loki. Her whole body was shaking but a flash of a smile appeared on her face when she saw Max and Lily behind Loki.

"There's a bar we can go to," Max pointed to the right of them.

They were in an alleyway and Jane had no sense of direction, unlike Max who seemed to know exactly where they were. She nodded, trying to speak but struggling. Jane hadn't even realized Max had also seen the bar.

"I know of it," Loki nodded. "Follow me, quiet now."

As if on instinct, Loki once again grabbed onto Jane's wrist as he started down the alley. His hand was cold, something she hadn't noticed before, but her shaking ceased at the touch.

-*.*.*-

The sight of light and people made Jane feel weak at the knees. There was no bouncer at the front doors of the bar and, even if there were, Jane had a feeling Loki would have gone right by them with little concern either way. The group entered the bar and Jane was overwhelmed by the smell of cigarette smoke. She glanced down at Max and Lily, who were looking around in interest. They were so unaffected by the course of the night it almost alarmed Jane. But, then again, they had Tony Stark for a father. As Lily had said earlier in the car, which seemed ages ago, this was basically a real life adventure to them.

People sat at the grimy bar and at random tables scattered through the area. There was a tiny stage where three people were standing. One was playing a trumpet, the other a piano. An older woman stood in front of a microphone and was singing into it, her voice low and deep. Loki went deeper into the bar, glancing over his shoulder to look at the doors they had just come through. Then his gaze skimmed over Lily and Max and landed on Jane.

"The children were in the back of the house," he said suddenly, finally releasing his grip on her wrist. "I wasn't abandoning you in there with them."

Jane's eyebrows rose in surprise. Of all things she had thought he'd say, she hadn't expected it to be that.

"I didn't think-"

"There's a back entrance to this bar," Loki continued, ignoring her words. "We just need to get out there, walk a few blocks and hail a cab. They'll know we came here, they'll know it's one of the few places with a phone. And they'll expect you to have a false sense of security. They don't know I'm with you. So they'll enter discreetly and, whether you had phoned the police or not, will take you on the spot."

As he spoke, he continued through the crowd towards the back. Jane had pushed Max and Lily closer to Loki as they headed towards it, though she was still close enough to hear him speak.

"Where are we going to go?" Lily asked, looking up at Loki with curiosity.

His jaw tightened but when he looked back down at Lily he seemed to relax.

"A friend of mine will be able to help us."

Lily nodded, satisfied, as they reached the backdoor. Loki pushed it open and did a quick glance to the left. There seemed to be no danger for he glanced to his right, ready to wave the trio forward, before stilling.

"Wait here," he hissed.

Jane watched in surprise as Loki exited the bar alone, shutting the door behind him. What was going on? Licking her lips, Jane looked down at the kids. They didn't have time for this, the gang would be right behind them.

"Stay here," Jane ordered, offering Max and Lily a smile to soften her words before opening the door and stepping out into the alley.

A single light hung by the door, highlighting the trash and empty bottles that littered the area. Jane instantly found Loki and frowned. He was with two other people, speaking in soft tones.

"We need to get out of here," Loki spat suddenly.

The couple was blocking them from their only exit, Jane realized. She stepped forward, reaching out hesitantly to touch Loki's back. At the contact he turned towards her. Alit in his eyes was an emotion Jane had yet to see from Loki. Panic. Panic and something else she couldn't place.

Jane dragged her gaze from Loki and looked at the two people in front of them. The light flickered, lighting them up. One was a woman, bright red hair falling to her shoulders and suspicious eyes taking in Jane. The other was a man who had dusty brown hair, a chiseled chin and a look about him that made Jane wonder if she should be more afraid of the gang in the bar or the pair before them.

"Loki…" the woman said slowly, dragging out his name.

Loki breathed sharply through his nose.

"You know her?" Jane whispered, her hand grabbing onto the arm of Loki's leather jacket.

"Both of us, actually," the man answered.

"Who are you?" Jane asked in response.

"Clint," he told her, lifting his chin. "This is Natasha."

Natasha narrowed her eyes.

"And who are you? You don't look the sort to hang out with this man," she paused. "It looks like he already put you through the ringer."

Jane touched her hair as her cheeks burned at the insult. If this woman only knew the sort of night she had had already…

"We don't have time for this," Loki cut in harshly. "I have to get them away from here. There's trouble brewing in this bar."

"Trouble?" Clint's eyes didn't go to the backdoor but rather drifted to Jane.

"What kind of trouble do you have following you now, Loki?" Natasha asked.

Before Loki could respond the backdoor opened. Jane jumped in surprise, turning to see that Max and Lily had joined them.

"They're here!" Max hurriedly said. "They're here, they saw us!"

Jane looked back at Natasha and Clint, who were silently communicating with each other. Jane grabbed Max and Lily, putting them in front of her.

"We have to go," Jane cried out. "Loki!"

Why wasn't he pushing past them? Why was he letting Natasha and Clint delay them? Who were these people to him? Jane took a deep breath, panic building in her, before Clint stepped to the side.

"We'll stall them," Clint decided. "Get out of here. Keep those kids safe."

Loki didn't nod, didn't make any notice of having heard Clint except to walk by him and Natasha. Max and Lily followed, barely glancing at the couple. But something made Jane pause, hesitate.

"How do you know Loki?"

The words spilled out of her before she could stop them. Natasha looked at her, guarded. Jane wasn't sure she was going to get a response, for Clint entered the bar without a word, but Natasha lingered. Her hand was on the doorknob but she didn't go in, studying Jane silently.

"We know his brother," she allowed herself to say. "Thor. We owe him one."

And that was all Natasha told her before leaving her alone in the alleyway, entering the bar with Clint.

-*.*.*-

The cab ride was strangely silent. Jane didn't know where Loki was taking them and she didn't care, at least not at the moment. The soft humming of the cab was helping lull Max and Lily to sleep and it helped Jane calm down as their tiny bodies leaned against hers. Loki sat in the front of the cab, staring out the window at the city skyline as they approached it.

There was no way the Dark Elves would be able to follow them now. They were in a cab, going to an unknown location. Jane just had to get the car and get these kids back home. Rubbing her eyes, she wondered how Darcy was doing. She was probably freaking out that Jane hadn't arrived to pick her up yet. Or she was flirting with one of the cops. Both were very likely.

"Twenty-eight," the cab driver's gruff voice cut through the silence.

Loki reached in the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a wallet. He pulled out two twenties and gave them to the driver before opening the door and exiting. Jane shook Max awake gently.

"Hey, wake up."

"What! What- where- Jane?" Max ran a hand through his hair, looking around the cab and then out his window.

A relieved smile came to his lips when he saw Loki, who was opening up his door. Max jumped out of the cab as Jane woke Lily. The little girl yawned loudly but followed Jane out of the cab as they got out.

Instead of being in a desolate area they were now in the bustling city. The change of scenery was almost a culture shock. Jane squeaked as a guy pushed by her roughly, glancing back at her in distaste. Lily ran up next to Loki, who was using a callbox for a large apartment building. Jane stared at the building, so well lit and clean. Who lived here?

"Loki?" a voice from the callbox said in surprise.

Jane turned her attention to Loki, who was saying something more. Then there were a loud buzz. Loki opened the door and Max and Lily entered. Jane approached more slowly, staring at Loki as she went by. The door shut behind them with a soft click. They were in a small entryway, the walls lined with several elevators. Loki pressed the up button for one and the group waited silently. Paintings hung on the wall, though a bit faded. It smelled of flowers and Clorox.

Shaking her head, Jane looked at Lily. She still held Mr. Bot in her arms and her hair was wild and knotty. Lily's cheeks were flushed but there was a smile on her face and she was safe. That was all that mattered, Jane supposed. Max also seemed happy, leaning against the wall as they waited for the elevator. His pants were dirty and there was a smear of black across his cheek but he was relaxed. They were finally safe.

There was a ding as the elevator arrived and the group went aboard. Loki told Lily the floor number, 17, and she pressed the button. Standing beside Loki, Jane could feel heat radiating from his body. She fought the temptation to lean into it, to close her eyes. There was something about him that… that…

That what? Jane didn't even know. She still blamed him for dragging them into this mess, to an extent. He shouldn't have ever taken them to that garage. What was he thinking? But Loki had promised to keep the children safe and, so far, he had. He even rescued them in that abandoned house. And now he brought them into the city, which felt far less dangerous than the area they had been. Once Jane got to a phone she could call a tow truck and they could finally get this night to end. She wondered what time it was, how much time there was to spare.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Loki led the way down the hallway, though it was a very short hallway. There were only four apartments on the floor, it seemed. He didn't bother knocking before he entered apartment 1701 and ushered the group in.

The first thing Jane noticed was a tiger rug on the floor beside a long, white, leather couch. Jane stepped in further, allowing Loki to shut the door behind her. The apartment opened up with a large room, where random objects were scattered throughout. An open pizza box sat on a glass table. A large painting covered one wall from top to bottom. Crumpled trash sat beside an empty trashcan. A candle sat lit on the kitchen counter. Music played from a small device. It smelt of roses and pizza and man. An odd combination to say the least.

Jane had paused in her observation of the room and Loki stepped up behind her. His breath was warm on her cheek as he whispered in her ear.

"How are you feeling, Jane?"

Goosebumps rose on her skin and she turned her head slightly, catching his eyes as he stepped around her. That familiar smirk lingered on his lips and she felt something hot flash through her blood, so quickly she couldn't even identify the feeling before it was gone again. She bit her bottom lip and followed Loki, Max and Lily into the room.

"Eat the pizza," Loki waved his hand at the pizza box on the table as he eyed the apartment.

"Really?" Max turned to look at Jane, who shrugged.

The kids didn't need to be told twice before they raced to the pizza box, grabbing pieces from the mostly full pie. Loki had his hands behind his back as he paced the room and Jane was just beginning to wonder who lived here that Loki knew when a man appeared from a room off the side.

"Loki!"

Loki turned, his lips twisting in amusement, as the tall man approached him.

"Loki, Loki, how are you?"

The man, who was strikingly handsome, embraced Loki. Loki, after a moment's hesitation, hugged him back.

"Ah, Loki, I didn't know you had a family now! Has it really been that long?"

The man looked at Jane, who stood awkwardly by the front door, then to the two kids, who were devouring his pizza. Max had slowed his chewing though, eyes darting between Jane and this unknown man.

"The kids don't really look like you, though, do they?" he asked, tilting his head.

Loki shook his head, a smile blooming, before extending his arm towards Jane.

"Fandral, this is Jane Foster. These are the children she's watching for the night, Max and Lily."

"Pleasure, pleasure," Fandral clasped his hands together. "Look like you've had a rough night."

Once again, Jane lifted her hand to her hair at his words. She must really look a mess.

"Well, it's certainly been interesting," Loki admitted. "Do you have a phone we can use?"

Fandral nodded, showing Loki to the house phone he had attached to the wall. Jane fidgeted in her spot, wondering if she should eat some pizza or sit or… or what?

"Bathroom?" Jane called to Fandral.

"Right through my bedroom," he pointed at the door he had come from. "Don't mind the mess."

Jane nodded, more to herself than anyone in the room. Loki was already calling someone, hopefully a tow truck, since Jane had no idea where they had left the car. Max, Jane noted, had grabbed a remote and had turned on the television. Lily was looking out one of the windows. As if feeling Jane's eyes, she turned around.

"Look, Jane! Daddy's tower!"

Approaching the window, Jane saw Stark Tower immediately. It was the brightest building in the city by far. And somewhere up there were Tony and Pepper Stark, unaware of the dangers their children had just experienced. Jane frowned.

"And a toy store!" Lily squealed, smiling. "Can we go there? Please?"

"Not now," Jane answered, patting Lily on the shoulder. "Go sit with Max and watch some T.V., okay?"

Going to the door Fandral had just come from, she entered his bedroom. It was a bit messy, though Jane wasn't one to talk. A large, unmade bed was against the wall, along with an extravagant dresser. Dozens of shoes were scattered on the floor. She dodged the footwear and pushed open the only other door in the room. Flipping on the switch, the lights turned on, flooding the room and causing Jane to squint. Glancing at the mirror, Jane shut the door behind her.

She didn't look as horrible as she expected. Her hair was a frizzy mess, a bit like Lily's, but nothing she hadn't seen after pulling a few all-nighters. Brown, blood shot eyes stared back at her as she studied her reflection. Any color in her cheeks was gone and there was dirt on her forehead from her brushing her hair out of her face constantly. Jane lifted her hands, seeing brown muck on her palms. Turning on the faucet, Jane let it run hot before finally pumping soap from the dispenser and washing her hands. Then she splashed the water over her face, scrubbing at her forehead and under her eyes.

Instantly she felt a bit better. Using a towel that hung on the wall, Jane dried her face and looked back at her reflection. At least now there was a bit of color in her cheeks.

"Need any help in there?"

Jane dropped the towel in surprise as the door opened. Loki stepped in, either unaware of her jaw drop or not caring. He shut the door behind him and gently pushed Jane away from the sink. Following her earlier steps, Loki washed his hands.

"I don't need help," she finally answered, crossing her arms.

"Really?" Loki met her eyes in the reflection. "Is that a general statement or is that just in response to my previous question?"

Jane's cheeks flushed.

"Because I would beg to say that it seems you do need some help in your day-to-day interactions."

"That's not fair," she hissed. "I don't normally enter garages filled with stolen cars and gang members!"

Loki turned off the water and turned around to face Jane.

"And I don't normally risk my life to save others who get themselves in impossible situations."

Loki leaned back against the bathroom counter as he waited for Jane to respond. He was right, of course. In a twisted sense, Loki was the hero of the night. He had saved Jane, Max and Lily. He had kept the kids safe, as he had promised.

"Did you call a tow truck?" Jane asked, admitting defeat.

He smirked.

"Yes, they're on their way. They'll take it back to a shop and fix it. Shouldn't be very long."

"Good," she nodded, looking away. "Thank you."

The bathroom was very clean compared to the bedroom, Jane mused as she attempted to distract herself from the curious criminal before her. Everything in here was perfectly white, perfectly organized, perfectly clean… Jane looked back at Loki, who had a single eyebrow raised. He let out a chuckle, leaning forward so his face was closer to hers.

"Come now, Jane."

His voice sounded strangely distant as Jane stared at him. Everything about him was so different than what she was use to. Jane had always had a thing for the boy-next-door types or, as Darcy says, mama-approved. They were always fresh, safe, predictable. Every boy had a sweet smile and eyes you could gaze into for hours. They spoke confidently but softly, laughed often and loudly.

Not Loki, though. He had dark hair, razor blade sharp eyes, a long nose. His smile could tear you to shreds and his height was used to intimidate, not to make you feel safe. His leather jacket, dark boots, long legs… And he didn't aim to please. Hell, he was a criminal. If Jane hadn't made him promise her to keep Max and Lily safe would they even still be alive?

"But you did," she whispered, breathless.

Loki tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I did what?"

She didn't realize she had approached him till her hand lay flat on his chest. His heartbeat was steady, though his eyes widened at the contact. Slowly, she ran her hand along his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath. He remained so calm but Jane could see his mind racing when she made eye contact again.

"You saved us."

He laughed again but this time it sounded strangled.

"I'm no hero, Jane Foster," was his response as she used her free hand to cup his face.

"I never said you were."

They met each other halfway; Jane released her hold on his face and wrapped her hand in his hair, bringing his head closer to hers, just as Loki reached out and grabbed her waist to tug her towards him. Their lips met once, twice, tasting, trying. Jane could taste mint and the night air, could feel his body quiver slightly as she opened her mouth for him.

One of his hands moved lower, cupping her bottom firmly, as the other wrapped around the back of her neck. Jane shivered, tilting her head back for a breath of fresh air, trying to cool the hot blood that rushed through her body. She didn't have much of a chance, however, for Loki's lips found her neck. He bit it gently but when she leaned into his touch he bit down harder.

The sharpness of his teeth startled Jane and woke up her, dosing her with reality. She stumbled away from him, tangled in his long arms and legs. There was an ache inside her, something she wasn't sure she could control. And Loki… as she met his lust filled gaze Jane swallowed. He did not seem to care as much if she lost control.

Jane had had no control over the events of the night. Was she really going to give up more of her control now? To Loki?

"Sorry, I…" she trailed off, walking up the counter and facing the mirror.

She looked almost feverish now, just from a kiss. How embarrassing. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Loki was staring at the spot she had just been in.

"That was forward of me, I shouldn't have…" Jane licked her lips and looked back at her reflection.

She shouldn't have what? Kissed him? Was her reasoning because he was a criminal? Or because the children were in the next room with his friend that Jane didn't know? Perhaps a proper reason was that they were on a time limit and still had to get their car and go home. What did it matter though? It was only just a kiss-

Jane jumped, surprised, when she felt Loki step behind her. His arms encircled her, his large hands laying on top of hers on the counter. She straightened at the touch, her eyes flying to meet his gaze in the mirror. But he wasn't looking at her reflection. Loki's head was dipped, leaning down to whisper in her ear. His dark hair obscured his eyes from her view. Jane breathed in sharply when she felt his lips touch the shell of her ear.

"I enjoyed it, to be honest," Loki whispered, one of his hands slowly moving up her arm.

She couldn't catch her breath as his other arm moved also, leaving her hand alone on the counter and instead pressing against her stomach. Her breath came in fast through her nose, filling her lungs as the warmth below her stomach curled and expanded.

"No reason to stop," he continued.

Jane leaned her head back almost unwilling, barely reaching his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered shut as Loki pressed a kiss on the spot he had just before bitten her. The hand on her stomach moved, tracing the small space of skin below her shirt and above her jeans.

"Don't you agree?"

It was with a flick of his fingers that the top button of her jeans was undone, the zipper down. She arched back into him as he slipped his hand lower, his breath hot on her neck. His fingers danced along the edge of her panties and Jane was surprised how still she was compared to the range of emotions inside her, boiling over, twisting, filling her. He chuckled in her ear as his hand on her arm moved, tugging down her jeans. They fell down, caught by her knees, and she didn't care- hell, if only he would touch her like she wanted-

As his one hand dipped into her underwear, swiftly but gently, his other cupped one of her breasts. His breath hitched along with her own, in sync, and Jane pressed fully against him, as she reached backwards. Blind, her eyes shut because it felt too good as his fingers pressed against her, she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck.

"Loki," the moan escaped her lips before she could even try to stop it.

At the sound of his name, he pressed another wet kiss to her neck then below her ear. He took a hold of her ear with his teeth, licking, nibbling, breathing. Steadying herself with her free hand on the counter, Jane's head rolled to the side.

"Jane? Are you in there?"

The knocking was like a bucket of cold water being thrown on her. Loki straightened, his touch leaving her as if she burnt him. Jane flinched, sparing a glance at her reflection as she tugged up her pants. Instead of seeing herself, though, she found herself staring at Loki. He was running a hand through his hair, a flush high in his cheeks, frowning.

"Jane?" Max.

She cleared her throat, mimicking Loki and running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I am, give me a second."

Jane turned to face Loki, taking a deep breath.

"I-I-" The lack of emotion on his face didn't help her find words. "I don't know what to say."

And she didn't. What was that? Jane would never do that, she hardly knew Loki. It was this night, the chaos that surrounded him and her and everything they had done together. That's what it was because Jane didn't do that, ever. She was smart and safe and would never do that… But she did.

He was still staring at her when she focused on him.

"Loki…"

"Jane? Is Lily in there with you?" asked Max.

She stilled, her hand reaching out for Loki.

"No. Why?"

She yanked open the bathroom door and found Max, his face strained. He peered around Jane, finding Loki. He didn't question it, didn't care, before he turned worried eyes to Jane.

"She's gone. I can't find her."


End file.
